Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Football Crazy

If you are the sort of twisted individual that likes to see men brought to their knees(guilty) then this time of the football season is just for you.

I'm a HUGE football fan, the only girl in the family I spent my formative years singing at Stamford Bridge and questioning the referees parentage.

I'm one of the lucky ones though, my parents (okay, my dad) cared enough to imprint me with a GOOD team. (and believe me, being wrapped in a Chelsea blanket at birth is imprinting) I will never suffer the pain and suffering of a relegation battle. (Although missing out on the title does hurt, sorry guys)

But I live within spitting distance (I've tried it) of West Ham Football ground and these guysat the moment are seriously killing my buzz.

4.45pm on a Saturday afternoon and East London is crying a river of tears

Walk past any pub in the area and fully grown men in replica shirts (which I may get to shortly) are literally sobbing into their pints. There are only TWO times in a mans life when it is okay to cry in the pub. The birth of a child and when your team is relegated. Any other reason is going to get you damaged innit!!!!

I'm dragging out my Hunters as we speak because where I live, it's about to get soggy.

Relegation hurts (Or so I'm told) It is a physical pain and suffering that cannot be soothed until you have gone back up a division. Grown men WILL cry, women and children will cry, everybody cries.

You don't choose your team, your team chooses you and you stay with them and relish the highs and suffer the lows. No true football fan changes who they support. It just doesn't happen.

So while I am happy that my team although sans silverware this year are safe, as a neutral I enjoy a good relegation scrap.

and seeing grown men in tears is just a bonus.

How's your team doing this year?

Let me know.

Big Fashionista x x

ps. Men wearing replica shirts? Seriously? Why? Do you ALL live in hope that one day something horrible will happen to the top striker and all of the substitutes and the manager will scan the crowd hoping against hope that someone is dressed appropriately to take his place, his eyes will settle on you and you run on the pitch to the roar of the crowd and score a hat-trick AND the winner?

West Ham as well I'm afraid, though fortunately insulated from most of the pain as I now live in North Wales. I've never cried at a relegation though, well not since I was little in 1989, (OK I was 16 so not quite so little) which was a year after Chelsea last went down. I think the shirts with men is all tribal, and expressing which tribe they belong to.

The shirt thing is debatable! I own a couple of Arsenal shirts (sorry) but I never wear them, ever. Sadly not because they're unfashionable, but because they're signed by my favourite players and wearing them means washing them, and I can't bring myself to do it! My other half, however, wears his football shirts every time his team play, whether he's at the ground or not, but I can't say it's helped the team at all (he supports Charlton..nuff said).I do feel a bit sorry for West Ham though! But like you I sit there in the smug knowledge that it won't happen to us (well, not yet...given the way Arsenal have been playing I might prepare myself...)xx

Due to increased spam comments I am now having to moderate the comments I receive. I will do my best to get them approved quickly so please, carry on commenting as every time you comment a kitten smiles.